South China Sea: Philippines summons Chinese envoy over two collisions
A Philippine flagged boat is blocked by a China Coast Guard vessel during an incident that resulted in a collision between the two vessels, in the disputed waters of the South China Sea in this screen grab obtained from handout video released October 22, 2023. Image released by China Coast Guard. Photograph:( Reuters )
Story highlights
China has repeatedly warned the Philippines over its mission of supplying troops stationed in disputed waters in the South China Sea. But Manila says it's within its rights
China has repeatedly warned the Philippines over its mission of supplying troops stationed in disputed waters in the South China Sea. But Manila says it's within its rights
China has released videos said to be taken on Sunday (Oct 22) which show its vessel blocking a Philippine boat which was supplying forces in disputed waters of the South China Sea.
The Philippines foreign ministry official said that Manila summoned Beijing's ambassador on Monday over two collisions.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Teresita Daza told reporters, "We're making full use of diplomatic processes... available to us. That includes summoning the Chinese ambassador (Huang Xilian), which we did this morning."
Daza also said that the ambassador was unavailable and was represented by his deputy chief of mission during the meeting at the foreign ministry.
"Ayungin Shoal is part of our exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and we have sovereign rights and jurisdiction over it," Daza said, using the Philippine name for the shoal.
"China, as a major power, bears a heavier responsibility of contributing to peace and stability in the region," she said.
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What exactly happened?
In a statement, China's coast guard said that the Philippine vessel had ignored repeated warnings, crossed the bow of the Chinese ship and "deliberately provoked trouble", which led to the collision.
In another incident, a Philippine coastguard vessel was "bumped" by what the Philippine task force described as a "Chinese Maritime Militia vessel".
Both collisions happened during a routine Philippine resupply mission to Filipino troops stationed on a navy vessel grounded on the shoal to assert Manila's territorial claims.
The Philippines has also released videos to support its accusations as both nations blamed each other for Sunday's incidents near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
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Watch the video here:
Recent escalation
China has repeatedly warned the Philippines over its mission of supplying troops stationed in disputed waters in the South China Sea. But Manila says it's within its rights.
Recently, tensions escalated after the Philippine Coast Guard said it removed a floating barrier at a disputed reef and alleged that China deployed the reef to block Filipinos from the traditional fishing ground.
In August, the Philippines accused Chinese Coast Guard ships of firing water cannons and making dangerous manoeuvres at its ships in the South China Sea.
Xilian was last summoned to the foreign ministry in August after the China Coast Guard used a water cannon on Philippine vessels near Second Thomas Shoal.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said that the line on China's maps had no legal basis.
(With inputs from agencies)
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